Screenshot of UAW president Shawn Fain during Facebook Live webcast to union members discussing … [+]
If the UAW and the Detroit Three automakers cannot reach a contract settlement by midnight eastern time Thursday, for the first time in history the union will strike all three but not at every location simultaneously in a move aimed at inflicting maximum and continuous pressure on the companies, union president Shawn Fain told members Wednesday night in a Facebook Live webcast.
Calling it a standup strike, the walkouts would be in waves. Fain said he would announce at 10 p.m. eastern time Thursday night on Facebook Live which locals would be the first to walk off their jobs. Workers at other locations would continue working under an expired contract. Fain made it clear there would be no contract extension.
“In the spirit of the sit down strike the stand up strike will keep the companies guessing. It’s gonna rely on discipline, organization and creativity,” Fain said, invoking the memory of the sit-down strikes in the 1930’s. “I want to be clear, our goal is not to strike. Our goal is to reach a fair agreement. But if the companies continue to bargain in bad faith, or continue to stall, or continue to give us insulting offers, then our strike is going to continue to grow. At the beginning, a select few we’re going to strike and then as needed more are going to join in.”
UAW leadership will decide which locals will join the walkout and when based on progress, or lack of it, at the bargaining table, Fain explained. The longer there’s no contract agreement, the wider the walkout will be.
“This is going to provide your national negotiators with incredible leverage at the bargaining table. If the companies give us an insulting offer, if they keep playing games, if they refuse to bargain in good faith, that we have the power to keep escalating and keep taking plants out,” Fain said.
Early in his more than 30 minute webcast Fain did acknowledge “movement” by the automakers in attempting to meet the union’s demands, but in citing the various categories of wages, cost of living allowances, status of temporary workers, retiree benefits and eliminating the two-tier wage system he said the proposals by General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis were inadequate.
“We are seeing movement from the companies but they’re still not willing to agree on the kinds of raises that will make up for inflation on top of decades of falling wages and their proposals don’t reflect the massive profits that we’ve generated for these companies,” said Fain.
He called out the automakers’ reluctance to eliminate the two-tier wage system where it takes newer workers eight years to reach full pay. The UAW proposed accelerating that progression to just 90 days, but Fain said “half the big three are now proposing a four year progression.”
Regarding wages, the union is demanding a 40% raise over the life of the four-year contract but Fain said Ford is proposing a 20% raise over four-and-a-half years, up from their initial 9% offer. GM, he said, is now proposing an 18% raise over that period, an increase from their initial 10% and Stellantis is proposing 17.5%.
In another break from past practices, Fain said if there’s no contract agreement by Thursday night’s deadline and the first wave of walkouts begins, there will be no bargaining on Friday.
Instead, the union will stage a rally scheduled for 5 p.m. eastern time at the UAW-Ford National Program Center in Detroit. Vermont independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders is scheduled to participate in the program.
